A standing ovation, reclaiming the wonder of your imagination, and the wonderfully dangerous potential of artificial intelligence

I’ve been a member of Rotary clubs for five years — first in Norman, Oklahoma, and recently here at the Rotary Club of Macon — and, at Monday’s meeting, I witnessed a first. 

A standing ovation for a speaker. 

Which isn’t to say we haven’t had excellent speakers in the past (a list that includes, among many more distinguished Middle Georgians, myself and my executive director DuBose Porter). But Monday felt special. 

Kirby Godsey, whose career highlights include serving as president of Mercer University from 1979-2006, helping found NewTown and serving as board chairman of the Peyton Anderson Foundation, gave a speech that resonated deeply with the packed room at First Presbyterian Church. A speech that resonated deeply with me.

Godsey told the crowd that it was important to look back at 2024 and learn lessons, then turn ahead to the new year and move forward. He made five points:

• “Claim the power of your presence: What will define your human story is what problems did I solve, what value did I add, what difference did I make?
• Reclaim the wonder of imagination: Imagination is more important than knowledge. Imagination enables us to get beyond our old habits, to consider new ideas, to break down barriers, to push back on long-held prejudices, to entertain new possibilities. Dreams we have never dreamed have never come true.
• Engage with AI because it will change human history: It can become our most powerful ally or our most dangerous and destructive force, and that largely depends upon us.
• Our survival requires us to become more civilized: When our barbaric ways begin to haunt us, reaching for civility and respect and a new measure of grace can rewrite our histories.”

You’ll have to read just a little bit more for that final point…

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There was a slight argument before Godsey’s speech about the oldest church in Macon, but Rotarians eventually agreed that Christ Church, founded in 1825, is the oldest parish. The church will celebrate its bicentennial at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27.

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Godsey’s point on artificial intelligence surprised me a bit, but he’s 100% correct. AI is already changing our world in ways we don’t even understand. I have friends who use it when cooking, when planning vacations, when preparing Bible studies, when composing emails. 

Countries and companies are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars a year into the industry that will determine the next stage of human evolution and is already driving the stock market up (and down). That’s one of the reasons we run an AI column each week in The Melody. 

You can learn more about AI in Macon this Friday and Saturday. The MAICON Collective, Microsoft, Wesleyan Leadership Lab and Macon Black Tech are hosting a two-day AI and the Art of Possibility Event at Wesleyan college starting Friday. Visit maiconcollective.com for more details.

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Godsey was speaking at Rotary at the invitation of the late Josh Rogers, and at the beginning of his speech, he took a moment to reflect on Macon’s loss, calling Rogers’ death an “unspeakable loss.” 

“He made Macon a better community and made us better people, yet he left us prematurely,” Godsey said. “But he also achieved in his young years more than a lifetime of good.”

Last Saturday I went on a day trip with my girlfriend to the town of Zebulon. About an hour away, the town has some great restaurants, a wonderful new-and-used bookstore and a coffee shop nestled downtown around the Pike County courthouse. We had a wonderful time.

There was a moment when we were waiting to be seated at the restaurant when a man walked by. For a split-second, he reminded me of Josh Rogers — the same height, color hair, etc. And for that split-second, I was about to get up and greet him. And then reality set in.

It reminded me of Godsey’s fifth and final point: the power of one.

“Your presence here will never be replicated,” he said. “No one can see what you can see or hear what you can hear or think what you can think. You have a journey to lead that has never been traveled, light to bear that has never been seen, stories to tell that have never been heard. I believe every person was born as a light to the world. Some human stories turn dark, but most do not. Unless you live out your promise and talent and dreams, you will leave a dark and silent gap in our history. No one will ever replace you.”

Sometimes, I think people have such a profound impact on our lives, shine such a unique light, that we see its reflection even in the faces of strangers. 

Caleb Slinkard is the managing editor of The Macon Melody. Email him at caleb@maconmelody.com.